


The Children Of Midreeve

by MsFaust



Category: Brightburn (2019), Original Work, The Midwich Cuckoos - John Wyndham
Genre: NOT ACTUALLY A FANFIC, more like an homage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-14 15:42:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18951094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsFaust/pseuds/MsFaust
Summary: Inspired by Village of the Damned (1995 version) and Brightburn (2019).Dedicated to Christopher Reeve, who made us believe a man can fly.





	The Children Of Midreeve

Synopsis  
  
One early October night, the town of Midreeve is treated to an unexpected meteor shower, after which twenty-four women find themselves inexplicably pregnant. The children are all born healthy and normal looking. Despite this, police officer James Dixon calls in the FBI, who sends agents Lee Romero and Kurt Wong, along with Dr. Frederick Thorn, to investigate. Romero and Wong offer a stipend in exchange for the children, who will be cared for an observed in a specially designed facility. Fifteen of the mothers accept, while eight refuse. As one of the mothers died in childbirth, her daughter Eleanor is adopted by Richard and Margot Glover, keeping her birth mother’s surname of Gibson.  
  
Fifteen years later, the children have split into two groups. The nine who grew up with their parents—Eleanor Gibson, Elizabeth Glover, Chris Peterson, Zoe Carter, Bradley Vasquez, David Tyler, Karen Clarke, Michael White, and Pam Bennett—are accepted by the other kids, while the children who grew up in the facility are ostracized and frequently bullied, despite the others’ attempts to stop them. Opinions are more varied among the adults, with Dixon and Romero being the most suspicious of the children.  
  
As the new school year begins, the children find themselves developing extraordinary powers: incredible strength and speed, near-invulnerability, enhanced senses, optic blasts, and the ability to fly under their own power. This frightens Romero, who begins looking for a weakness. It turns out that not only can they still harm each other, but their powers are derived from their ability to breathe, and that sufficiently pure helium triggers an allergic reaction similar to an asthma attack, as evidenced when Thomas—one of the outcast children—tries inhaling it at his brother John’s birthday party. Thankfully, John is able to save him by using an epipen.  
  
Out of fear that the children will become a major threat if they are left alone, Romero attempts to kill the children in the facility by gassing them. Eight of the children—William, Craig, Lindsey, Thomas, Clayton, Linda, Donna, and Henry—escape thanks to Wong, who feels that Romero’s paranoia has gotten out of control. Swearing revenge, William persuades all of the other facility children, minus Thomas, to join him in destroying Midreeve. With their formidable powers, they begin a rampage which results in numerous deaths, including those of Romero, Dixon, the mothers of Chris, Bradley, and Michael, the father of Karen, and both of Zoe’s parents.  
  
In an effort to stop them, police commissioner Jill Welling and Dixon’s former partner Alan Cavill appeal to the other children for aid. They agree, and are joined by Wong and Thorn, who reveal that an autopsy conducted on the dead children unearthed their alien nature. Eleanor and Elizabeth are shaken, but are comforted by Richard, whom they take flying. Meanwhile, Margot searches for Thomas, and finds him with a severely injured John. Thomas allows Margot to give John some of his blood, but they are attacked soon afterwards by Lindsey. Although Thomas is weakened from the transfusion, he is able to hold off Lindsey long enough for Margot and John to escape, unfortunately being killed in the process.  
  
The adults put together a ‘helium bomb’ that will destroy the town. Margot and Dr. Thorn help lead a mass evacuation, though Margot ends up sacrificing herself to ensure its success. Dr. Thorn pleads with Elizabeth, Eleanor, and their allies to try and persuade their peers to surrender, fearing that if they kill, it will start them down the path to becoming like the other children. Zoe, David, Michael, and Pam are able to convince Clayton, Linda, Donna, and Henry, who follow them out of town. Meanwhile, Eleanor, Elizabeth, Chris, Bradley, and Karen fight William, Craig, and Lindsey as Wong prepares the bomb. After arming it, he gives a prearranged signal, and the five allied children escape, leaving the other three to die in the explosion, along with Wong.  
  
Less than a week later, upon the 15th anniversary of the initial shower, Eleanor, Elizabeth, and company scatter Margot’s ashes. Dr. Thorn takes Clayton, Donna, Henry, and Linda with him, intending to rehabilitate them, but not before hinting there are other superhumans out there. The film ends with the children, accompanied by Richard and John (the latter of whom has developed superhuman strength, speed, durability, and flight due to the blood transfusion), flying off to find out what lies in store for them.  
***************  
Characters  
  
(An asterisk beside a character’s name means they do not survive the movie.)  
  
-The Children  
Chris Peterson  
Zoe Carter  
Bradley Vasquez  
David Tyler  
Karen Clarke  
Michael White  
Pam Bennett  
Elizabeth Glover  
Eleanor Gibson  
William Litzke*  
Craig Cain*  
Lindsey O’Leary*  
Thomas Delacroix*  
Kirstie Field*  
Clayton Worthington  
Linda Bright Tree  
Mark Katiyo*  
Meredith Redmond*  
George Brombden*  
Roberta Cruz*  
Edward Sierra*  
Donna Winnfield  
Henry Bonsaint  
Sandra Agnew*  
  
-Other Major Characters  
Richard Glover  
Margot Glover*  
Officer James Dixon*  
John Delacroix  
Dr. Frederick Thorn  
Agent Lee Romero*  
Agent Kurt Wong*  
Officer Alan Cavill  
Commissioner Jill Welling


End file.
